In light of the relative dearth of scholarship on the Shia in Scotland and of their religious spaces, this article focuses on an annual ritual procession emerging out of a Twelver Shia imambargah in Edinburgh, Scotland, which situates it both within a...
Read More »Article: Dating Versions of the Karbalāʾ Story
In this paper, the writer will discuss the relative date of two important versions of the Karbala story related by Ṭabarī: one, relatively short and lacking in detail, is ascribed to Imam al-Bāqir (d. 114/732); the other, much longer and more detailed, is compiled by...
Read More »Fatwas of Ayatollah Sistani and Ayatollah Khamenei on Imam Hussain’s Mourning
As we observe the month of Muharram, and commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (as), the believers are to be reminded about the opinion of the Jurist (Marja) on the topic of...
Read More »Article: The Image of Ḥusayn Ibn ‘Alī in “Maqātil” Literature
This research concerns the image of Husayn ibn 'All as reflected in the maqatil al-Husayn. Husayn's dramatic death inspired many Shiite poets, and from the second century of the Hijra (8th century AD), historians began to...
Read More »Pakistan’s Shia Muslims Face Double Threat: Suicide Attack and Online Hate Speech
The right to practice religion is a universal one that extends to every inhabitant of the world. In Pakistan, however, this right is frequently violated, as Shia face suicide attack and online hate speech on a...
Read More »Sayyida Zaynab: A Timeless Role Model for Humanity
What practical lessons do we as a community take from Lady Zaynab immense contribution to humanity? How well do we appreciate the monumental impact she made on the establishment of our faith and the implications that may have on our lives today...
Read More »In Pictures: Millions Hold Arbaeen Mourning Rituals in Karbala
Milions of Muslims in Iraq have started holding Arbaeen ceremonies to commemorate the Martyrdom of Imam Hussein (PBUH), the third Shia Imam in the battle of...
Read More »Merit of Visiting the Grave of Imam Hussain (a.s.)
Visiting the grave of Imam Husayn (a.s.) is recommended, while emphasis upon visiting his grave is among the necessities of the Religion. It is related that the visitation to his grave is essential upon every believer and is...
Read More »The Qurʾanic Biography of Imam Husayn: A Translation of Sayyid Ali Naqi Naqvi’s “Hussain (ʿa) and the Qurʾan”
In this short treatise, Sayyid ʿAlī Naqī Naqvī gives a Qurʾanic biography of the Lord of Martyrs, Imam Ḥusayn (ʿa), and sheds light on the causes of the event of Karbala...
Read More »Challenges Surrounding Commemorating the Tragedy of Imam Hussain (as)
The ceremonies that recall the tragedy of Imam Hussain (p) and his family are held communally, as mosques, Islamic centers, and homes are filled with incredible intensity and zeal—a practice that has historical roots and....
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